Montana Elk Hunting Survival Tips, Part 1

Just returned from my morning hike down the creek. Wonderful day. About 22 degrees and no wind. In this country a day with now wind is as good as it gets. Not much wildlife to start with. A couple of small four-point whitetail bucks (4x4), a whitetail young of the year, and a few black and red angus cows.

On the return trip the yearly, or bi-yearly squaking of Canadian Geese began. Over head, the geese were strung out for what may have been a half mile. They weren't in a "V" type formation, but more of an echelon left. The weather is changing, and with only two weekends of regular elk season left in Montana I thought it important for a few safety tips.

My first is firestarters. Should a hunter use flint and steel? Perhaps, candles? Or, maybe a small butane torch. Well, those are all great, but if you want a dependable firestarter, I would recommend a road-side flare. They are nearly indestructible, start almost anywhere and burn long enough for wet wood to catch fire and burn on its own. If you want a more waterproof version, simply paint with wax or a shellac.

I hope everyone is having a great day! The photo above is a deer that took refuge in our shelterbelt (trees are only a couple years old) last Thanksgiving. He is missing one antler, whether that was from a fight or a gunshot, who knows? But he seemed to need a place to rest and relax, my wife and I left him alone and he was gone the next morning.